AFC chief stays neutral on Infantino re-election as Asia's votes loom

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa gave no indication on Thursday whether the body would back Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president, closing a two-day session in Tokyo without committing its 47 members to either side.

"We're not against anyone and we're not in favour of anyone," Sheikh Salman said in a brief address ending the conference. He added: "For people who try to divide us, this is not going to happen."

His comments leave Asia's votes open ahead of a March election in which Infantino faces strong opposition in Europe and staunch support in Africa. Opposition candidates have until November 18 to file, and none had done so at the time of the session.

A change in tone

Just over two months ago, the AFC joined the football governing bodies of North and Central America and Europe in saying Infantino had committed a "fundamental breach of trust." Recent reports and Thursday's short talk suggest Sheikh Salman may have moderated his views.

Asia appears split. Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup, has come out in support of Infantino, while Jordan has declared its opposition.

Sheikh Salman made passing reference to turmoil in the Middle East and its effect on football in the region. "We know that the world is changing and football, I think, gets affected as well from what's happening," he said, "whether it's political, economic, or whatever it is."

Infantino's troubles

Infantino seldom speaks with the media. He has been travelling and electioneering in Asia, but did not appear publicly at the seminars in Tokyo. FIFA's media office promoted his presence in Bhutan and Bangladesh, whose small federations each hold one vote — the same as powerful football nations such as Spain and France.

Last week in Zurich, he apologised to FIFA's 37-member ruling council, which he chairs, for "mistakes" he made in assembling a now-scrapped $4.2bn selloff plan for the World Cup. An Associated Press tally shows 87 of the 211 federations have indicated support for him, either in individual comments or by endorsing statements of support from their regional confederations.

Asian Cup to go ahead

The AFC meetings in Tokyo were closed to the media and shown on the confederation's YouTube channel.

Muhammed Q Alghamdi, a spokesman for the Asian Cup organising committee, said the tournament in Saudi Arabia will go ahead despite deadly attacks in the country by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, with a rising fear of escalation. The Asian Cup is set for January 7 to February 5, with 24 teams playing in Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar. Reports suggest it may be too late to seek an alternative venue.

"We are monitoring the regional developments and we're working closely with our counterparts at the AFC to make sure we can provide an exceptional tournament," Alghamdi said. "Daily life is ongoing in Saudi Arabia. Our job is to be ready, and we will be ready."

Source: Al Jazeera.